Ready and Able

Product Review: Steve’s Original Paleo Krunch

Even adherents to the Paleo way of eating need the occasional treat. Enter the Paleo Krunch bar!

In my defense, when I first discovered the Steve’s Original line of Paleo foods, I had no idea I was entering a World of Delicious. Instead, I was just excited to find another product line that was producing storable foods which adhere to the Paleo “guidelines” (loose though they are).

My box of Steve’s goodies arrived yesterday. I planned to sample my way through them this weekend, but Fate had other ideas. To wit: my husband was stuck at work waaay late last night, and I became desperate for a snack to tide me over until dinner.

The Steve’s Box beckoned me.

I opened up the Paleo Krunch package.

Oh. My. Do you like peanut butter cookies? Not those gooey, chewy ones from the mall, but the ones your mom makes? Kind of crispy, kind of oily, and purely yummy? Yeah, the Paleo Krunch is that cookie. Which is totally weird, because there are zero peanuts in the ingredient list, but there you are.

The actual ingredients are almond, coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, honey, and a touch of vanilla extract. So: heavy on the nuts and seeds, and a dose of coconut oil for good measure. This pans out as 200 calories per bar, comprised of 13 g of fat, 7 g of protein, and 16 g of carbs. I’m a bit bummed about the carb content, but at least these carbs are coming from wholesome ingredients, and it’s way fewer carbs than you get with a fruit-filled Lara Bar.

As for shelf life: alas, there is no “consume by” date listed on the package. Possibly because Steve, in his wisdom, realizes that something this tasty won’t be on your shelf long enough to spoil! However, it is vacuum-sealed, so I’d guess you have at least six months to a year before you need to worry about the nut oils going rancid.

Is it filling? Yeah, I’d say so. Not in a “meal replacement” kind of way, but in a “I’m a little peckish, and I could use something to tide me over for an hour or two” kind of way. I could also see this bar augmenting a pantry-based meal in an emergency scenario if you need a few extra calories.

I’ve never seen Steve’s Original products on a store shelf, so as far as I know, you’ll need to order from his website: www.stevesoriginal.com. You’ll have to wait about a week for your goodies to arrive, but trust me: it’s worth it!